The Big Bang Theory Is No Longer The Best Show In Its Own Franchise (It Isn't Even 2nd)

Published Sep 20, 2026, 7:58 PM EDT

Faith Roswell is a Senior Writer on Screen Rant's Classic TV team. Since earning her degree in Creative Writing over a decade ago, Faith has written articles on film and TV from a variety of different angles. Faith now combines her knowledge of psychology with her love of monster movies to give more insight into what makes the best ones. 

You may have read her Screen Rant lists and features covering horror, sci-fi, and fantasy, or read her Amazon Top 10 book, "Movie Monsters of the Deep."

Faith has had an extensive career as a writer, appearing on BBC live radio, researching true crime for Rotten Mango podcast, and writing for publications including Mental Floss, Atlas Obscura, and The Daily Jaws before beginning here at Screen Rant. 

Few TV spinoffs are as successful as the original show, but The Big Bang Theory's have not only been excellent in their own right, but they have outshone it. When it first aired in the mid-2000s, the series was an exciting new addition to the sitcom landscape, bringing an entirely new premise centered on science and nerd culture. With The Big Bang Theory featuring prominent scientists and sci-fi icons as versions of themselves, the show was a love letter to the sci-fi genre, but it is a harsh fact of rewatching the original show that it has not aged well.

While some of the funniest Big Bang Theory lines still work, others have not, and not all viewers stuck around to see how the series would eventually improve. Still, the show attracted enough of a fanbase that it sparked three spinoffs, with its most recent being a huge creative risk. Stuart Fails to Save the Universe marks the biggest change for the franchise yet by changing The Big Bang Theory's genre, and as this spinoff was not as highly anticipated as some long-awaited shows, it could have collapsed the franchise. Instead, it has opened up a new world to explore.

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe & Young Sheldon Are Both Better Than The Big Bang Theory

Credit: MovieStillsDB

Some Big Bang Theory storylines have aged poorly, but the show was far from a failure. There are several episodes to skip on a rewatch, but it still has an 81% critics' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with some earlier seasons getting a perfect 100% score, so it seemed like only a matter of time before Sheldon Cooper got his own spinoff. The "fish out of water" concept is hardly new for a sitcom, but as we have already seen Sheldon surrounded by his peers, Young Sheldon focusing on his early years with his family felt like a fresh take.

Sheldon was created by The Big Bang Theory, but while he has an established arc, Young Sheldon is the series that truly developed the character. Iain Armitage's spot-on portrayal of the young genius made the show the success that it was, and while Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage was not as well-received, it was a solid addition. Just when it appeared that The Big Bang Theory was changing course to focus on the Cooper family, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe gave the franchise a much-needed shake-up.

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Stuart Fails to Save the Universe brings back some Big Bang Theory characters, but focuses on some of the supporting characters who were never given a chance to be more than the butt of a joke. With both the sci-fi genre and nerd culture valuing underdog stories, this was a smart move. Rotten Tomatoes critics and audiences might not rank the show as highly as The Big Bang Theory yet, but Stuart Fails to Save the Universe has made a better first impression, with The Big Bang Theory's first season earning a 59% positive critics' rating.

That said, while neither spinoff could exist without the original, both Young Sheldon and Stuart Fails to Save the Universe have attracted reviews comparing them favorably to The Big Bang Theory for a variety of reasons, including their character dynamics and further exploration of the world that the first series established. This is exciting news for the franchise, which now includes a multiverse.

Why The Big Bang Theory's Spinoffs Are So Successful

None of the Big Bang Theory spinoffs simply continue the story. Instead, the franchise uses the opportunity to expand on many of the show's characters that had previously only been seen or described from Sheldon's perspective. Sheldon might be celebrated as one of the best sitcom characters of all time, but he is a flawed character who does not always hold up well for today's viewers. Young Sheldon allows many of his family members a redemption arc by establishing him as an unreliable narrator.

This has led to some of the best moments in the show, like the scene in which we understand that his father was not cheating, as the "other woman" Sheldon saw was his own mother in a costume. This unexpected factor allows Young Sheldon to attract viewers even if they did not like Sheldon in The Big Bang Theory. On the other hand, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe gives an entirely fresh perspective, becoming the sci-fi TV series that The Big Bang Theory's characters wish that they could be in.

The Big Bang Theory and its spinoffs
Title	Year	Seasons	Rotten Tomatoes critics' rating	Rotten Tomatoes audience rating
The Big Bang Theory	2007	12	81%	85%
Young Sheldon	2017	7	-	84%
Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage	2024	2	-	69%
Stuart Fails to Save the Universe	2026	1	77%	80%

Both of the best spinoffs have taken the elements of The Big Bang Theory that work well, and brought them to a new environment, whether that is rural Texas or outer space. This has resulted in spinoffs that are better than the original show, and with such an enormous cast of supporting characters, there is virtually limitless potential for the franchise to expand further, whether in sitcom or sci-fi format, with The Big Bang Theory franchise now proving that it can be both.

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  Stuart Bloom

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  Denise

Stuart Fails to Save the Universe follows comic book store owner Stuart Bloom as he embarks on a mission to restore reality after causing multiverse chaos. Assisted by his girlfriend Denise, geologist Bert, and physicist Barry Kripke, Stuart navigates the fallout of a broken device designed by Sheldon and Leonard.